Story of a Spring Day
by Popuri
Summary: Ruroni Kenshin Naruto Crossover: After the death of Shishio, Kamatari is left in dispair, and angst lurks around every corner -- but soon he meets Mizuki, someone he loves, who loves him. There's only one problem... Mizuki doesn't kn


**Story of a Spring Day**

  
Honjou Kamatari sighed as he sat in the street-side caffe, staring blankly up at the ceiling, his hands folded in the lap of his kimono as he murmered blankly, "Kyo nen... Shishio-sama... honto ni desu ka...?"  
  
But no. He shook his head firmly, frowning and sitting up straighter. _Shishio-sama would not have wanted me to grieve. Even if... he did die last year... on this very day..._  
  
Another sigh escaped the lips of the Meiji's best under-cover agent. Since Shishio's death, Kamatari had followed to the letter everything that his Lord Shishio had told him. He'd believed everything that Cho had told him about how Lord Shishio would have wanted him to go on, and he'd even accepted the Meiji's invitation for work as a spy-dressed-as-a-woman. For one year, he'd worked as hard as he could, all for Lord Shishio.  
  
One year ago. Last year. More and more as he sat there and stared at the roof of the caffe, Kamatari was realizing the extent to which he'd been living as though his Shishio-sama would come back to him.  
  
Suddenly, he lurched forward in his seat, staring wide-eyed at the table top. This was the moment that, after a year, he finally realized. It finally dawned on him. This had never occurred to Kamatari..  
  
"Shishio-sama... Shishio-sama... isn't coming back.. .. .." It was a whispered comment, but to Kamatari, it was deafening. The new, unpleasant, unwelcome, and unwanted concept filled his mind, heart, eyes, ears, stoumach, nose, and mouth, seemed to drown him and parch him, cause him to burn from without and freeze from within all at once.. it was no surprise that the next sentence caught in his throat. "Shishio-sama.. is .. Shishio-sama is.. .."  
  
_Shishio-sama is dead._ It wasn't a lie or a joke or a prank, it wasn't a misunderstanding or misinformation or mistake. Lord Shishio, his first love, his _only_ love, was dead and gone.  
  
Quickly, Kamatari stood and went to the door, pushing it open and running out into the rain.  
  
_It's not true. It isn't! Shishio-sama would not be defeated!!_ Tip, tap, tip, tap, rain falling on the streets...  
  
_It isn't! Shishio-sama couldn't be beaten!_ His quick pace, however, soon began to slow, feet dragging on the ground...  
  
"It's.. it isn't true.." But it was. Kamatari knew it was... no matter how devatastating, no matter how impossible, he knew that Shishio was, indeed, gone.  
  
Empty eyes reflected aching soul as he looked helplessly through the streets. People everywhere... but none were Shishio. None could fill Kamatari's wounded heart.  
  
For a while he remained motionless, until he found salvation in a small sake resteraunte, and slowly stumbled inward.  
  
A few curious glances were thrown in the direction of the dripping-wet "woman" with the soulless eyes, but eventually every eye went its own way as Kamatari seated himself.  
  
_A whole bottle of sake just for me... I hope I'll be closer to Shishio-sama when it's gone._  
  
Two hours later, Kamatari awoke with a start, his eyes wide as he leaned against the door of the sake resteraunte. For a moment he simply panted and tried to recollect what had happened before he fell silent... and a tear slipped from his eyes.  
  
The one permitted the flow of the many, and Kamatari was soon crouched in a ball outside of the sake resteraunte, sobbing hysterically. "Shishio-sama... atashi no Shishio-sama...!"  
  
Suddenly, he was knocked forward into a puddle as someone opened the door from the inside. The person had been drinking casually, and was by no means anywhere near as heavilly under the influence as Kamatari. His eyes widened as he saw that he'd knocked some poor "girl" into the road, quickly helping "her" up again.  
  
Kamatari murmered an "arigatou", studying the man's face for a moment.. he had chin-length silvery hair and wore a dark blue turtleneck as well as pants of the same colour, and his eyes held not the dazed, careless look of contempt so many others showed him, but a certain gentle concern.  
  
When he didn't speak, the man shook Kamatari a little. "Hey, hey... are you okay?... You had a nasty fall. You're okay, right...?"  
  
Kamatari said nothing for a few long moments before slowly reaching up, fingers moving closer to the man's cheek as he spoke. "Hey... kill me, would you?.. And send me .. to be with Shishio-sama ..." Fingers grazed the stranger's cheek before his arm fell, and Kamatari passed out in the man's arms.  
  
"Hey... hey, you..! Wake up!!" The man shook Kamatari a bit, but to no avail. With a heavy sigh, he hoisted the "young woman" onto his back. "Poor lady... Look what you've gotten yourself into, Mizuki... Well... she'll probably just go home in the morning."  
  
Silently, Mizuki carried Kamatari on his back back to his small apartment, setting him on the floor and laying out his futon before placing Kamatari into it and covering him with a blanket. A slight smile crossed his face as he pulled the extra blanket over to a corner.. There, leaning against the wall, he fell asleep.  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
Kamatari sat bolt-upright in bed the next morning, blinking and turning towards the sound of someone boiling rice.. sure enough, Mizuki sat only about a yard away from him, filling a small bowl with rice. He smiled a little at Kamatari, handing him the bowl once he'd filled it, and a bit of grilled fish.  
  
Puzzled, Kamatari blinked a bit before slowly extending his hand and taking the food. "A.. arigatou.."  
  
"Nan demo nai." Mizuki started on his own breakfast, allowing his guest to eat in unbroken silence if she so chose.. until, after a few long moments, "she" spoke. "..Who are you? Where am I?"   
  
His host chuckled softly, swallowing the rice in his mouth and turning to smile at his guest. "My name is Mizuiki... this is my home. I apologize for bringing you here without your consent, but leaving a woman alone and vulnerable outside of a sake resteraunte isn't the kindest thing to do."   
  
Kamatari slowly nodded. He didn't know this person, but he had been kind to him... he was still unsure about whether to entrust him with his true gender or not, however. However, in the end, he and Mizuki would eventually go their seperate ways, would they not? What was the point of telling him at all? A slight pause, and he shook his head, gazing sorrowfully down at the grilled fish. Without Lord Shishio, what was the point of _anything_...?  
  
Mizuki could see Kamatari's feelings as if they were sewn onto his sleeve, and, taking another bite of rice beforehand, he attempted a kind smile. "What's your name, then..?"  
  
"Oh..." A few blinks, looking down at his food for a moment before turning to look at Mizuki. "Kamatari... Honjou Kamatari. Thank you for taking me in.."  
  
Mizuki just smiled, going back to his food for a moment. Not wanting to let his pretty guest suffer with his thoughts, he spoke once more. "But what was a pretty young lady like you doing drunk in the street? Did your husband throw you out?"  
  
Kamatari laughed nervously to himself, taking a cup of milk tea from Mizuki. "Oh, no. Nothing like that. I'm not married." A sip and a smile. "Your tea is really very delicious, though, Mizuki-san."   
  
"Arigatou, Kamatari-san." They both sat there for a few moments, sipping their tea, before Mizuki stood. "I'm going to go run a bath... you must be cold from having been out in the rain almost all night." With that, he stepped out of the room, sliding the paper door open and heading to what was presumably the bath - room.  
  
Kamatari sighed in relief once he knew Mizuki was out of ear shot, shaking his head.. "But, Mizuki-san really is kind, isn't he." A sligh blush rose to his cheeks. _You must be cold from being out all night_. The blush deepened. He quickly scrambled to his feet, stepping out of the room as he heard Mizuki speaking from down the hall.  
  
"...to the store for groceries, Kamatari-san. I'll be back in an hour or so. Please feel free to use the bath or whatever other resources I can provide. Of course, you're free to go home, too, if you wish... Ja ne, Kamatari-san."  
  
He heard the door open and close. _Home...?_, thought Kamatari, as he went into the bath- room and began to shower (as was and is appropriate before using the bath). _Where is home?_  
  
Shishio-sama was gone, and he'd always been on the move working for the government. Kamatari sighed, shaking his head and beginning to wash his hair. "Shishio-sama... why did you have to leave me alone...? I don't like living with the knowledge that I can never be by your side again, Shishio-sama... I don't like living all alone."  
  
_But, Kamatari, you're not alone._ A sligh blush as his nagging conciounse brought forth that image of Mizuki, when he'd held him the night before. _Kamatari-san, feel free to take a bath. May I scrub your back?_  
  
Brown eyes snapped open. "Eeeee!!" He scrambled out of the shower and grabbed a tissue, which was quickly stuffed up his bleeding nose. After going through another one or three, Kamatari would blush slightly, relaxing in the bath as he repremanded himself. "Kamatari, what do you have, a little-girl's crush!? Shishio-sama is your one and only true love, and you're fantasizing about some man who helped you out?! Mizuki-san thinks you're a woman!"  
  
But his speech only served to darken his blush. No matter how he looked at it, no matter how he justified it... Kamatari knew that he was alrady beginning to consider this mysterious, kind Mizuki as someone who had the potential to become more than just a friend.  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
Mizuki whistled happily to himself, strolling through the market with a daikon on his shoulders and a cask of sake in his hand. _What a cute girl she is... Kamatari-san._ "Hehehe.. Polite and cute and sad all rolled into one. She's perfect! I'll save he from her sorrow! Yoush!!!"  
  
He coughed, walking quickly on as to clear himself of the stares he was receiving.. his former wide grin had shrunken to a much smaller, more private smile. He may have been ex-communicated from the small village of shinobi he'd lived in, but this time, he was going to get the thing he wanted... he'd lost the scroll, but Kamatari's heart... that he resolved to win.  
  
_After all, what could go wrong? I underestimated Naruto, but what could Kamatari san be that I don't know about? A man?_ At this thought, he laughed, smiled, and shook his head.. walking on into the market.  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
An exact hour after leaving, Mizuki walked into his house and pulled off his boots with a dazed, yet happy, expression.. when he was brought back to Earth by a gentle voice. "Okairi nasai, Mizuki-san."   
  
"Tadaima, Kamatari-san." There was a brief pause before the both of them laughed, and Mizuki went to put the groceries away. "So... Kamatari-san... when do you want me to take you home?"  
  
"Oh.. about that.. I don't have any place to go.."  
  
Mizuki almost dropped the sake in shock -- he _did_ drop the daikon. "Huh?! Really?! I was surprised that you wouldn't have a husband, but not even a home? Where do you sleep, Kamatari-san?!"  
  
Kamatari laughed, sweatdropping a bit as he picked up the daikon and put in the in cabinet. "It doesn't matter. I can get a room at an inn anytime, so--"  
  
"No! Kamatari-san, it's not safe for an innocent maiden to wander around Tokyo all alone! Please, by all means, stay here if you have no home..!"  
  
Kamatari pushed a strand of his hair from his face, effectively hiding the slight blush. _Mizuki-san really, truly is a kind person..._ "Is.. is that really all right with you...?"  
  
"Yes! Of course, Kamatari-san." He paused slightly before smiling sheepishly. "But.. if we're going to be living together.. can I call you Kamatari?"  
  
Kamatari smiled, nodding... _You don't even know who or what I am, Mizuki-san, but you'll take me in and call me on a first-name basis... Some would cal that rude, but it's the kindest thing anyone's... no, no!! Shishio-sama was kind to me!... He was...!_ That shadow having passed again over his new roommate's face, Mizuki pointed at himself.  
  
"Call me Mizuki, then, okay?"  
  
Kamatari looked up, smiling a little once again. "O.. okay, Mizuki! Hey.. you worked hard today.. so let me cook, okay?"  
  
"Oh, but I wanted to cook for you... let me help!"  
  
"Okay!" A bright smile.. it was at this moment that Kamatari realized that he was happier than ever before in his life being there with Mizuki.. and it didn't take much longer than that for him to realize that he was, despite his lingering devotion to Lord Shishio, falling in love.  
  
Just as there is an end to all things, this was a beginning.  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
"Shishio-sama? Where are you?"  
  
"I'm here, Kamatari!"  
  
"**!** Shishio-sama!"  
  
"Kamatari, my time is up... sayonara."  
  
"SHISHIO-SAMA!!"  
  
Running... footsteps... dark, running, running, arms, open arms !  
  
"Mizuki! Shishio-sama is dead!! Please.. save me..! Love me..!"  
  
"I love you, Kamatari!"  
  
"Mizuki... I can forget Shishio if I have you!"  
  
Kamatari woke up, eyes wide, breathing hard. "Oh... it's just a dream....." He paused for a moment then, looking down at the blanket. "I... I love Mizuki... but... do I...? Or am I just seeing him as a replacement for Shishio-sama?.." He frowned, shaking his had. "No! I love Mizuki because he is a kind, nice, wonderful person! Even if I have lost Shishio-sama, that can't be why I love Mizuki!"  
  
Bothered and worried, he lay back down on the futon. _It really isn't, right? I really do love him, right? Because... I don't want to have to lie to him about both my feelings... and my gender..._  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
"HOT SPRINGS!"  
  
"Eeeeeh? Why, Mizuki? We have a perfectly good bath right here at home..."  
  
"The hot springs are much more relaxing, Kamatari! Don't you agree?" Mizuki smiled, handing the hot-spring pamphlet to Kamatari, who looked at it, and laughed nervously. "Ehh.. .. do we really have enough money for something like this, Mizuki..? You have to feed two mouths now.. .."  
  
The silver-haired shinobi grinned. "Hehehe.. When men have to feed two mouths with their paycheck, it's usually because they have a wife.. Every wife needs to be given a treat now and then! Yes, Kamatari! I will take you to the hotsprings..!!"  
  
"..ara..Mizuki, I'm not your wife..!!.. But .. if you want to go so much, I guess it's okay.."  
  
"YATA!"  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
An hour and a half later, Mizuki and Kamatari found themselves walking into the building connected to the hotspring, and Mizuki smiled at Kamatari, patting his head. "I hope you have fun, Kamatari!" With that he turned and started walking fown the hall towards the men's spring... with Kamatari right behind him. A few blinks, and he turned. "Ano, Kamatari, this is the way to the men's section."  
  
"Hai." Kamatari blinked, and kept walking.. a moment later, he was stopped once more. "Er, Kamatari, the women's spring is back that way, you know..."  
  
"Yes, Mizuki, I know that already."  
  
A long silence.  
  
"Kamatari-san. . . . . . . . _why are you using the MEN'S BATH_?"  
  
"... ... ..._OH_!" Kamatari went red, laughing nervously. "How silly of me!! Ahahahahaahah..." And, with that, he darted back down the hallway.  
  
Standing outside of the fork in the building that divided the women's and men's halls, Kamatari looked back and forth between the sings... "Women's"... "Men's"... "I don't know.. which one to use.."  
  
"Oh, hello, miss. Are you a tourist? The women's spring is that way."  
  
Kamatari turned, looking forlorn. "But I'm... _AAAAAA!_"  
  
"AAAAA!!" The girl behind he staggered backwards, shrieking. "KA.. _Kamatari_?!?!?!"  
  
"MISAO?! .. I mean, uh, ohohohohoho.. We meet again!" Kamatari sweatdropped.  
  
"Unfortunately.. You _pervert_, why don't you use the MEN's bath if you're a man?!"  
  
"I told you that I'm not a woman or a man, because I can't be Shishio-sama's best of either. I fit right in the middle. It's this hotspring's fault for not having a bath for those of us who aren't so cut-and-dried!"  
  
"_You're_ the only one who would want _that_!"  
  
Kamatari growled, pointed accusingly at Misao. "You're just mad because you weren't woman enough to hook the man you loved!"  
  
"**_I told you that we're just friends_**!!" Misao nearly shot sparks from her eyes. "At least I'm better off than _you_!"  
  
"_You_? Better off than _me_? Oh,HOHOHOHOHO, you silly little girl! I'm a spy for the Meiji, and you're just a hot-springs dwelling weasel!"  
  
Misao blinked. "A spy...?"  
  
And Mizuki, who had just gotten out of the bath, also blinked. "...for the Meiji...?"  
  
"Sou, desu you! ----- M .. Mizuki-san ..?" Brown eyes widened and Kamatari bit his lip. "I... Mizuki..."  
  
Mizuki's eyes trailed down to the floor for a moment before slowly he smiled up, as though nothing had happened. "It's late, Kamatari.. We should probably go." He turned then, and walked out of the inn.   
  
"...Mizuki...san..." Nodding sadly, he would turn to Misao (who had become more serious as well as thoroughly confused after the previous exchange). "Until we meet again, Misao..." And with that, he was gone, walking quickly out towards Mizuki, to whom he eventually caught up. Kamatari took small steps, looking at the ground and staying a few paces behind him.. the silence was deafening.  
  
"Mizuki... gom--"  
  
"Kamatari, don't worry about it. Everyone has things they want to hide. I know you couldn't have told me... plus... it's not as though you're my wife, right? I mean .. you aren't obligated to tell me anything .. .. I mean, unless you were really not only a spy, but a man, too." He laughed, and Kamatari just bit his lip, trying to hide the pang of acute guilt he felt.  
  
They walked onward for several more silent moments before Mizuki stopped, looking at Kamatari for a moment... and thus did Kamatari. For a long moment, they just stood and stared at one another.. .. .. but the moment was shattered when Mizuki suddenly threw his arms around Kamatari, holding him close in a tight embrace.  
  
The deep brown eyes went wide once more, and Kamatari's mouth went as dry as his face went red. "..?!.. .. M .. Mizkui.. why .. are you hugging me .. ?"  
  
Mizuki's eyes remained closed, and he only tightened his embrace. "...you looked so sad, Kamatari... I'm sorry. I'll stop if you want."  
  
"..." After a few moments of thought, Kamatari shook his head and abandoned himself to the embrace, melting into Mizuki's arms. "...no. It's all right. I need someone to care about me." At these words, Mizuki's embrace again tightened, and Kamatari's head lay on his beloved's shoulder.. and, for a few minutes, all was quiet, and they just stood there in their private paradise.  
  
"M...Mizuki... I.. .. I .."  
  
"Yes, Kamatari...?" A gentle smile spread over Mizuki's face as he pulled away to look into Kamatari's eyes.  
  
Kamatari's eyes were brown; Kamatari's face was purple.  
  
"I can't.. breathe.. !!"  
  
"Oh, shit!! I'm sorry, Kamatari-san!!"  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
It was midnight. Kamatari looked up at the ceiling blankly, arms crossed behind his head on the pillow. _Unless you were not only a spy, but a man, too._ Those words rang continually through Kamatari's mind, and no matter how he tried, he could neither forget nor deny them.  
  
_Mizuki... Would you be so kind to me if you knew who I was...? Would you still have held me? Would you love me...?_ He'd blink, laughing sadly to himself. _But, who am I to think that Mizuki-san loves me... He probably doesn't... I'm not much of a perfect woman type... And if I wasn't good enough for Shishio-sama, I don't see how I could ever be good enough for Mizuki..._ "Mizuki..."  
  
One AM struck, and found Kamatari still lying there awake, unable to resolve his feelings. He knew that he did truly love Mizuki, but did Mizuki love _him_? Probably not... and even if he did, would he feel the same when he found out that "she" wasn't a she at all?  
  
Forty-five more minutes had come and gone before Kamatari had reached his conclusion. No matter what he felt, no matter what he wanted Mizuki to feel, for that matter... no matter how it hurt, no matter _what_, he had no right to lie to the one he so loved. He would never have lied to Lord Shishio, and he would never again lie to Mizuki.  
  
Tomorrow would be the day that told of his fate.  
  
Tomorrow would be the day that he would confess.  
  


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Cicadas chirped, birds warbled, flowers burst into full bloom and shed the dew from their petals as the mice scurried back to their holes with nuts and berries, seeds and honey on that bright spring morning... everything and everyone lived in peace, and all were bright and cheerful, it would seem.  
  
Things had been so wonderful for Mizuki recently... being there with Kamatari. He smiled happily.. he was in love, and he was so calm and relaxed lately that he hadn't had any problems at all...  
  
_That's right... With Kamatari by my side, I won't ever turn into that _other_ Mizuki again.. I'll just be happy, and be myself, without anyone interfering._  
  
It would seem that Kamatari wasn't the only one with a dark secret to hide...  
  
Nevertheless, the day progressed fairly quickly for the young lovers, and soon it was dinner-time. Kamatari had been looking depressed all day long, despite Mizuki's sincerest efforts to cheer him up.. finally, with a sigh, the shinobi put down his chopsticks. "Kamatari, will--"  
  
"Mizuki... I need to tell you something."  
  
Mizuki blinked.. well, he didn't have to ask him to, now did he. Offering a smile, he straightened up to listen and nodded. "Yes.. of course, Kamatari. You know that you can talk to me about anything at all."  
  
"I'm ... not ... ... I'm not what you think I am, Mizuki... I'm..."  
  
"Kamatari, if you're some sort of demon, it's okay."  
  
"... No ... It's worse than that, Mizuki ... I ... I'm male."  
  
Mizuki sat still for a few long moments, dumbfounded, trying to process what he'd just heard, his eyes wide... before doubling over in a fit of hysterical laughter. "You almost had me there, Kamatari!! Wow!! That was great!"  
  
"It's the truth!"  
  
"Oh, sure, Kamatari...! If you're a guy, I'm the Hittokiri Battousai!!" Mizuki was still laughing...  
  
Upset, Kamatari bit his lip and pulled up his kimono. "I'm not a woman.."  
  
Giggling, Mizuki turned... and his happy face was immediately dissolved into gray-faced shock. "K... Kamatari.......?!"  
  
Folding down the fabric of his kimono once more, Kamatari gazed guiltilly in the opposite direction, his eyes heavy with a look of sorrow. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you... I ... My Lord Shishio, my first love, died last year... I wanted to die... to just disappear... ... but then, you found me, and you took me home... you were kinder to me than any other... I was afraid that, if I told you..." He trailed off for a moment. "I just... I couldn't l---"  
  
"You... you _lied_ to me, Kamatari...! After I took you in and treated you well, you _lied_ to me!! I can't forgive that...!"  
  
_NO!! No, no, I don't want this to happen to me now... Please don't let this happen now...!_ But no matter how he tried, Mizuki was out of control. He couldn't stop the activities of his pain as it took on a new form, a monstrous, cruel one... It was another attack. _The last time this happened, I hurt Iruka... I hurt Naruto... I did want the scrolls, but I didn't want to hurt my friend Iruka! I don't want to hurt Kamatari...!_  
  
But that was something that Mizuki was unable to say... his body really was completely out of his control. He was helpless to do anything but watch as Kamatari's eyes widened, as Kamatari's lip quivered... "M.. Mizuki...!"  
  
"GET OUT, KAMATARI! I don't ever want tto see you again!!" _NO!! No, no, no, Kamatari...!_  
  
Kamatari's soft brown eyes widened farther... and a tear fell. Two. Three.. they were falling faster, and soon Kamatari ran out of the house sobbing... soon enough, he was gone. As soon as Kamatari had left, Mizuki fell over coughing until a small pool of black acid had formed beneathe him on the tatami mat, quickly burning through.  
  
But to this, Mizuki paid no attention. "K... Kamatari..." Panicked, he turned to the window. Kamatari was gone, the beautiful spring day had clouded over, and before his very eyes, it began to rain.  
  


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_I never want to see you again!!_  
  
Kamatari's tears fell harder each time he heard the words ring in his head. "Mizuki... why...?!..." He kept running until his legs could no longer carry him, and he was forced to collapse onto his hands and knees in the street. "Why...?"  
  
_I gave my heart to someone one more time... I tried again... and you hate me, Mizuki... Why...? I need you most... More than I need Shishio-sama, even... Without you... I don't want to live..._  
  
Slowly, Kamatari stood. He couldn't live anymore, now that both Mizuki and Shishio were gone. Last time, Cho had told him not to... and the time before that, Misao and Kaoru had stopped him... but this time, there would be nobody to interfere. This time, Kamatari would end his life.  
  


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_She... no, he... had tried to say something. What was it...?_ Mizuki stared at the floor, frantic, trying desperately through the fog to remember what it was Kamatari had said, just how he had pronounced that "l", what he was going to say.  
  
"_I couldn't l..._? You didn't want to what...?" For one long moment, every possibility ran through Mizuki's head... he had to know what Kamatari was trying to say to him... he had to understand...  
  
And then it dawned on him.  
  
"Oh, god...! Kamatari!" Mizuki scrambled to his feet, running out of the house without bothering with his boots, unconcerned for the pain that he felt in his bare feet as they scraped across the rough, rocky road slicked with the cold rain.. _Kamatari... What have I done?!... I threw you out ... right before you were about to tell me ... that you couldn't lose me!!_  
  
The shinobi found himself running faster than ever in his life, thinking as fast as he was able, trying to examine every facet of this new knowledge. _I'm in love with Kamatari.. but she's a man! I'm not gay! .. am I ? .. No, I'm not .. If I were gay, I wouldn't have loved Kamatari as a woman... But she's not a woman! She's not even a she! She's a _he_!_  
  
He thought and looked and ran, and looked and ran and thought... but the more he thought, the more he ran, the less Kamatari's gender seemed to matter. _Even if it isn't right as far as society is concerned... even if we are both male, I don't care... I'm in love with Kamatari, not for his looks of for his body... I'm in love with Kamatari for who he is!!_ "KAMATARI! Where are you!?"  
  
"Mizuki?" Startled, Kamatari turned and blinked, searching the street for the farmilliar face.. but found nothing, and shook his head slowly. _No ... He did say he never wanted to see me again. He wouldn't be calling out for me._  
  
Once more, slowly, Kamatari shook his head, and once more he cast his eyes downward at the dagger in his hand... his eyes slipped shut, never to be opened, and the dagger was placed against the fabric of his obi. _Shishio-sama... I'll be with you soon... Goodbye, Mi--_  
  
"KAMATARI!!"  
  
_Mizuki?!_ Brown eyes flew open wide, glancing quickly to his left.. where he saw him. There was Mizuki, hurdling towards him, slipping on the ground in his bare feet and sliding into a puddle. But Mizuki was on his feet again in a moment, and before Kamatari could even react, Mizuki grabbed the dagger by the blade with no concern for his own flesh, and tossed it away, throwing his arms around his love and hugging him close.  
  
"Mi... Mizuki-san...?! I thought... ? What... why ... are you hugging me?"  
  
"...I'm sorry, Kamatari... please forgive me if I hurt you, but... I needed to tell you something... before you walked out of my life forever. Kamatari... I love you."  
  
Once again, Kamatari's eyes went wide, and he was powerless to do anything but stare dumbfounded into space as Mizuki held him. "But... but I'm not a woman, Mizuki...! How could you still love me?"  
  
"I'm sorry... if you want, I'll try to stop..."  
  
"..." Kamatari slowly, slowly shook his head, wrapping his arms around Mizuki and closing his eyes. "No... I need someone to love me." Looking up into Mizuki's eyes, Kamatari smiled the most genuine smile he could ever remember forming. "I love you, too, Mizu-chan."  
  
And it was only then that the rain stopped, the cicadas began to chirp, and the birds sung once more... and there, on that spring day, a beautiful rainbow shown from between the clouds.  
  
It was the beginning.  
  


~ Fin ~

  
  


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A/N: So, tell me how you liked it, everyone ! ^ ^; ! I hope you weren't confused. Mizuki is the teacher from the first episode of Naruto, and Kamatari is the cross-dresser from Ruroni Kenshin... Please offer any sort of comments that you have. (This is my first yaoi fic, too, XD;;). In any case, I had fun writing this, but it was difficult... I would like to write more, though, and the rest would probably be more humorous than this was. So review!!  
  
Special Thanks To: Iz-kun, the creators of all anime involved, and fanfiction.net.  
  



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